Lingon phantom pain6/19/2023 The idea is that this shows the brain both limbs are intact and healthy, reducing pain. For example, a person with an arm amputation might look at the mirror image of the opposite arm. Mirror therapy: This involves performing exercises while looking in a mirror at an intact limb or body part.Additionally, prostheses with feedback technology improve limb mobility and movement perception. Prosthetic usage: Multiple studies have shown that using prosthetic limbs reduces phantom pain.For example, topical creams may help some people, and beta-blockers have shown promise in some studies but not others. Other drugs: A wide range of other medications may help.They may also help counter the mental health effects of living with pain. Antidepressants: Antidepressants may help with some forms of central sensitization.In certain cases, doctors may prescribe opioids, but these drugs carry a risk of dependency. Pain medication: Pain medications such as nonsteroidal inflammatory drugs may help some people.For example, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and peripheral nerve stimulation devices may offer relief to some people. Nerve stimulation: Nerve stimulation devices deliver electrical signals to nerves that may ease phantom pain.A person experiencing phantom pain may need to work with a pain specialist and try several different interventions. There is no standard treatment that works for everyone, and treatments that do help may not relieve the pain entirely. Treating phantom limb pain can be difficult. However, these conditions may affect the symptoms and their severity if a person does develop phantom pain. It is important to note that mental health conditions, such as depression, do not increase the risk of phantom limb pain. As the brain performs this process, a person may feel phantom pain. Brain changes: Following the removal of a body part, the brain must change how it organizes information about the body.For example, diabetes may damage nerves in the feet and legs. Disease processes: The disease that led to the body part removal may also damage nerves, causing them to generate phantom pain even after a body part is gone.This can cause them to continue to send pain signals even when a body part is gone. Nerve damage: Amputation or organ removal may damage nerves that provide the brain with information about the missing body part.It often occurs in people with chronic pain. Central sensitization : This is a process that changes the body’s pain perception, making a person more sensitive to pain.Most research suggests it is a type of nerve pain that occurs because the nerves send false pain signals. However, a phantom sensation can also be helpful after an amputation, as it may improve balance.ĭoctors do not fully understand what causes phantom pain. This can be potentially confusing or even dangerous, as a person may momentarily forget the body part is not there and try to use it. These types of pain are also distinct from phantom sensation, which causes a person to feel as though a removed body part is still present, but without any pain. In contrast, phantom pain feels as though there is an injury to the part of the body that no longer exists. While phantom pain appears in a body part that is no longer present, residual pain occurs in a body part that is still present near the site of the removal.įor example, a person who undergoes amputation of their lower arm might feel residual pain in the elbow joint. Phantom pain is different from residual pain. For most people, phantom pain occurs shortly after the removal of a body part and becomes less severe over time. The pain can range from occasional or mild to constant or severe. Phantom pain is a feeling of pain in a body part that is no longer present, such as an amputated limb. Share on Pinterest boonchai wedmakawand/Getty Images
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